An eccentric Japanese billionaire builds “a private society elevating art, culture, and pleasure,” in the former storage basement of a Japanese department store (which he also owns), and what do you get? Honolulu’s most stunning food (and its priciest). Fresh truffle shavings and a Parmesan cream give way to a silky egg yolk. Caviar glossed with maple gel and set like jewels on crème fraîche and fried brioche. There’s only one menu a night, and it’s constantly changing. The young chef, Chris Kajioka, insists on the finest ingredients, whether it’s baby lettuces grown on the Big Island, or amadai (a fish with skin that puffs and crisps up like chips when it hits hot oil) from Japan, and applies impeccable technique to it all. The interior is luxe-man-cave-meets-art-gallery—18 original Picasso drawings hang in the dining room, which is lined with bricks. Vintage Cave was originally envisioned as a members-only club, with membership starting at $5,000 and going up to $500,000, but currently it’s still open to the public.